What is the EPS file format?
A file with the .eps extension contains a single-page document description saved in PostScript language format, which can be inserted into another PostScript document. .eps files are typically used for inserting graphics and images into documents, but an .eps file may store any type of data, including formatted text.
.eps files are written in PostScript (with some limitations) and carry additional information about the dimensions of the embedded content in the form of DSC (Document Structuring Conventions) comments - one identifies the format version, the other defines the document boundaries:
%%BoundingBox: llx lly urx ury
where llx and lly are the lower-left corner coordinates, and urx and ury are the upper-right corner coordinates, expressed in PostScript points (1/72 inch).
.eps files store data in finished form and can only be manipulated as a single object - they can be, for example:
- Rotated,
- Scaled,
- Cropped.
The format offers an optional preview in the form of a low-resolution raster image - typically a TIFF or WMF image embedded within a binary "DOS EPS" wrapper (magic bytes C5 D0 D3 C6). A plain ASCII .eps file starts with the header %!PS-Adobe- and carries no embedded preview; in that case any preview must be rendered from the PostScript code itself.
.eps was introduced by Adobe Systems in 1987, built on the PostScript page-description language. It gained wide adoption in desktop publishing due to its universal character and cross-platform mobility. Related formats include the .ai (Adobe Illustrator) vector format, which in its early versions was EPS-compliant.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMEPS is unusual among image formats: it contains executable PostScript code, and that interpreter has been exploited. Microsoft disabled EPS in Office in 2017 after state-sponsored groups (Turla, APT28) used malicious EPS files for remote code execution (CVE-2017-0261, CVE-2017-0262). Treat EPS from unknown senders like any active content: open it in a modern, sandboxed app (Inkscape/Illustrator), keep Ghostscript updated, and don't try to re-enable EPS in Office. A plain logo EPS from a trusted source is fine.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open EPS files
Windows6 apps
Adobe Illustrator
Paid File > Open to edit the EPS as native vectors. The industry-standard EPS editor. 
Adobe Photoshop
Paid File > Open rasterizes the EPS into a Photoshop layer at a resolution you set (loses vector editability). 
GIMP
Open-source With Ghostscript installed, File > Open the .eps; GIMP rasterizes it at a chosen resolution. Good for export to PNG/JPG, not vector editing. 
IrfanView
Free With its Ghostscript plug-in, opens an EPS as a raster preview - quick way to just look at the image. 
Inkscape
Open-source Install Ghostscript first, then File > Open the .eps (Inkscape imports it via Ghostscript and converts to editable vectors). Free Illustrator alternative. 
macOS3 apps
Inkscape
Open-source Install Ghostscript (e.g. via Homebrew), then open the EPS to edit it as vectors for free. 
Preview
Built-in Double-click to view (macOS converts the EPS to PDF on open). Note: newer macOS releases dropped automatic EPS-to-PDF conversion, so it may not preview on the latest versions. 
Linux4 apps
Inkscape
Open-source Install Ghostscript via your package manager, then File > Open the EPS to edit as vectors. 
XnView MP
Free With Ghostscript installed, opens EPS as a raster preview for viewing and batch export. 
Adobe Express / online viewers
Free Upload the EPS to view it and convert to PNG/JPG/SVG in the browser - no install. Technical details
deep spec| On-disk encodings | Two forms: plain ASCII (starts with `%!PS-Adobe-`) and binary DOS EPS (starts with magic bytes `C5 D0 D3 C6` pointing to a PostScript section plus optional raster preview) |
| Magic bytes | `25 21 50 53` (`%!PS`) at offset 0 for ASCII EPS; `C5 D0 D3 C6` at offset 0 for binary DOS EPS wrapper |
| MIME type | `application/postscript` |
| Page count | Exactly one page per file - the encapsulation constraint that distinguishes `.eps` from general PostScript |
| BoundingBox | Mandatory `%%BoundingBox: llx lly urx ury` DSC comment specifying artwork extent in PostScript points; optional `%%HiResBoundingBox` provides sub-point precision |
| Language base | Restricted subset of PostScript - operators that alter global device state (e.g. `exitserver`, `setsystemparams`) are prohibited to ensure safe embedding in host documents |
| Scalability | Resolution-independent vector output; scales to any print or screen size without quality loss |
| Embedded preview | Optional low-resolution TIFF or WMF raster preview inside binary DOS EPS; plain ASCII `.eps` files carry no preview header |
| Font embedding | Supports embedded Type 1 fonts (via `%%BeginFont` DSC block) and Type 42 (TrueType-wrapped) fonts; host-resident font references also permitted |
| Color spaces | Supports DeviceGray, DeviceRGB, DeviceCMYK, and CIEBased (ICC) color spaces within the PostScript code |
| Coordinate system | Origin at lower-left corner of the BoundingBox; units are PostScript points (1/72 inch); Y-axis increases upward |
| Transparency | Not supported in the PostScript Level 2 rendering model; achieving transparency effects requires PostScript Level 3 extensions or conversion to PDF |
| EPSF version header | Files conforming to the final specification declare `%%PS-Adobe-3.0 EPSF-3.0` on the first line |
| Released | 1987 (Adobe EPS, based on the PostScript page-description language) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.adobe.com |
EPS conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about EPS files.
